IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) and Kark Chukhadzhian (24-2, 13 KOs) each made weight on Friday for his or her headliner this Saturday night time, dwell on DAZN on the Wells Fargo Middle in Philadelphia.
(Credit score: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Ennis has promised to attain a knockout over Chukhadzhian this time round after successful an unimpressive 12-round unanimous determination final 12 months on January seventh in Washington, D.C.
Boots may have averted this combat if he’d moved as much as 154, however he advised his promoter Eddie Hearn that he desires to remain at welterweight lengthy sufficient to grow to be undisputed. Hearn agreed, so, for this reason this lackluster combat is occurring a second time.
If Boots can’t work out Chukhadzhian once more, at there will probably be WBC tremendous flyweight champion Jess ‘Bam’ Rodriguez to save lots of the night time together with his protection in opposition to Pedro Guevara (42-4-1, 22 KOs) within the chief assist bout. Rodriguez-Guevara is anticipated to be an entertaining brawl, and never the monitor meet the principle occasion conflict will probably be.
Weights on DAZN at 7 pm. ET
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis 146 vs. Karen Chukhadzhian 146.6
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez 114.8 vs. Pedro Guevara 114.4
Raymond Ford 130 vs. Orlando Gonzalez 130
Khalil Coe 175 vs. Manuel Gallegos 174
Austin Williams vs. GIAN GARRIDO 162.2
Prelims at 5:15 pm ET
Ismail Muhammad 145.8 vs. Nelson Morales 145.8
Zaquin Moses 129.6 vs. Michael Ruiz 129.6
Dennis Thompson 121.8 vs. Edgar Ortiz Jr. 121.2
“Brian Norman was out of his depth, and he by no means had an opportunity to consider it or suppose sensible. They turned it down, after which they got here again with a foolish quantity,” mentioned Eddie Hearn to Boxing Information concerning the failed negotiations between ‘Boots’ Ennis and WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr.
This was a missed alternative for Ennis to get a unification combat when he was near getting it. All that was wanted was an additional $500,000 to get the deal accomplished and Ennis would have had his first unification combat.
“Then they got here again considering they form of dropped the ball by asking for a foolish quantity. It was a large number. Stanionis and Barrios. Barrios has a combat developing subsequent week. These guys, their promoters, will not be going to have the ability to service these guys.
“They’re going to need to combat guys like Boots for a giant cash shot. So, I hope they’ve an urge for food. I hope they’re going to need to combat him as a result of he’s actually good. I get generally folks don’t need to combat him as a result of he’s so good. Let’s see what occurs tomorrow night time, however we would like these unifications,” mentioned Hearn.
The $1.7 million that Hearn reportedly provided Brian Norman Jr. to combat Boots isn’t thought-about “huge” cash whenever you examine that to what fighters have been making within the Riyadh Season playing cards. When the welterweight champions hear that Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, and Anthony Joshua are making $100 million, they’re not going to be happy to combat Boots Ennis for $1 million+. That’s not huge cash to them.
“[Shakhram] Giyasov goes to need to combat Stanionis. Now, hopefully, Giyasov can win, however once more, it’s Stanionis. Outdoors of Riyadh Season, the place are you going to get the massive paydays for him, and he’s not going to get the decision for Riyadh Season,” mentioned Hearn.
What Hearn says concerning the different champions at welterweight needing to combat Boots Ennis in the event that they need to get the cash nonetheless gained’t make these fights occur if he doesn’t provide them large life-changing cash.
The three champions at 147 that Boots must combat to grow to be undisputed can be underdogs in opposition to him, and it’s not value it for them to offer away their titles to him for lower than what they’re hoping to get. Some possible hope that Turki Alalshikh will present curiosity in putting them on his Riyadh Season playing cards, the place they’ll make large dough. So, why would they ever conform to combat Boots Ennis for 1,000,000 and a half?
